Ladder-support



I a rlNViNTQR nr 9 ens ezn. WITNESSES:

E S BY W mm 7 ATTORNEYS.

'NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY REIFFENSTEIN, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK.

LADDERQSUPPORT.

SPECIEICAfljQEforming part Of Letters latent N0. 544,520, dated August13, 1895.

Application filed May 23, 1895. Serial No. 55 (No model.) i

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY REIFFENSTEIN, of Syracuse, in the county ofOnondaga, in the State of New York, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Ladder-Supports, of which the following, taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

My invention relates to ladder-supports,

[O which are designed to hold the foot or top of aladder,or both,fromslipping when erected.

My object is to provide a ladder with an antislipping support for eithertop or bottom of a ladder, which will automatically fit or r 5 adaptitself to the angle of the ladder with reference to the surface of theground or to the wall of the building, such support comprising asuitable body pivoted to the ends of the side rail of the ladder, asuitable pad, as

of rubber, and means to detachably secure the same to said body, theface of said pad being usually broken, in order to produce a multitudeof holding-surfaces independent of each other, and all co-operating tosecurely 2 5 grip the walk, pavement, or earth upon which the ladder iserected to hold the foot of the ladder and to grip the wall of thebuilding to prevent the ladder from slipping sidewise.

My invention consists in the several novel features of construction andoperation hereinafter described, and which are specifically set forth inthe claim hereunto annexed.

It is constructed as follows, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of a ladder erected.Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is atop plan of the support.Fig. 4 is a bottom plan thereof. Fig. 5 is a side elevation thereof.Fig. 6 is a transverse section thereof. Fig. 7 shows a top plan and anedge view of a pad-holding ring. Fig. 8 isa detail of a stop-pinmechanism.

Ais a ladder of ordinary construction, sides and rungs.

B is my support, shown as applied to the bottom and top of the laddersides. It comprises a body 2, provided with suitable flanges 8 andreinforcements 4, when desired, the end of each ladder side fittingbetween said flanges, and 5 is a bolt through them and which forms thepivot upon which the'support rocks to adjust itself. A pad 6 is securedonto the bottom of said body by a ring 7 of any suitable design, the oneshown having radial cross-bars, which fit into recesses in the pad, asalso the body of the ring, and

its surface is broken into a multitude of holding or contact surfaces,substantially as shown. It will be readily seen that the surfaces of thepad, when of elastic or yielding 6o material, will readily grip andcling to any surface to which they are applied, and thus prevent thefoot of the ladder from slipping out or the top from slipping sidewise,and thus prevent the ladder from falling and protect the lives offiremen, painters, and others using ladders, being more effective forthat purpose than the spikes commonly in use, and being pivoted upon theladder they automatically adapt themselves to the angle of the ladder,so that they restfiat upon the Wall or surface upon which thel'adder iserected. One

orv both of the flanges 3 can be provided with a lug 8, with which a pin9 upon the ladder is adapted to engage in order to prevent the sup- 7 5port, particularly at the top of the ladder, from flopping over, so thatit will not make proper contact with the wall.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent,

The combination with a ladder of supports each comprising a body, a padprovided with a broken face, a ring provided with transverse cross-barsand means to secure it to said 8 5 body to retain said pad, and apivot-bolt connecting said body to the ladder rail, whereby the supportwill automatically adjust itself to the angle of the ladder.

In witness whereofI have hereunto set my hand on this 20th day of May,1895.

HENRY REIFFENSTEIN.

